Magnetic coupler



24, 19410. H; MIL R 2,226,287

MAGNETIC COUPLER Filed Oct. 26, 1938 Y v I l.

' Inventor: Robert H. Miller;

His Attorney Robert H. Miller; aidi g; It o lE ee m ilmflier York mementos,gem;emanate. I I

. Thisinvention relates to toy trains am'i vehicles and more particularly-to means for re I leasably couplingthe ends of adjacent cars lto' gether. I I I I Because 01' the "limited 'clearancesibetween the I endsoi-adjaeent cars in toy trains', it .is a-adiflicult matter to couple and uncouple the carswtpro-f videdwith' the conventional hook andE- eye type of connectors. It is irequently necessary for the operator, usually a child, to liftthe *carsnom. the track and to observe closely the cooperating parts 1 I to properlyvflt; them together. -'1 he operation,

I often-results in the spilling of the Itrainfand is;

- anything but realistic. Furthermorej, -acar;pro-

- 'carso the train;

' :gl igltisfan object ot this invention; to providen- "ne'w'and improved magnetic draft; "coupling for 1 ZOatoy" trains-which can be'operated- -by me'ansof;

' wilevers extending-tram, the sides of,the-"cars Inarealistic-manner."

' d vel and- 'm'yinvention, attention isedirected-to 25 theiollowing descriptionand the'claims appended I thereto tahen' in connection with the accompany part'sthereoljbeinghrolren away to bring out cer otgadiustment'rflgst 5 Iand'fl are views; illustratoi-the invention.

' arranged -a,surrounding cupiI-o'f nonvid'ed with-anoutwardlilextending I adapted, toextend an 'a-perture provided 1 -in' the ;lowerl'portionoij'the end'wall ls-aor the car.-

.The head oi-the l mg 1 portionkflllfmay be pe'e'nedf overithe edges ofxthe aperture to retain-the cup Z vided witha hook'at-one end'a'nd an eye at" the and 8 9 1 Po it 1' 1 81 the"lu8 other is not reversible with respect" to the other I I I II I I I I I desired such as byabolt passedthrough -theiapen ture in the car end' -wall and threaded into. the:

endof. the cup II; Ank-operatin'gyl ever-:.'2'0 "se-x 1mg oresolderingl'ext nds'n in n c any andup- I I I I with-respectt0theiaxis --otevrotation of=the" I -For a-comideration oi whati-lbelie've tobe- I I I I I II II J I be rotated through anangie oi approximately 90 II I I I netic-coveritma'y;beprovlded for the' 'icoupler- *Referringthe drawing, Flg'. iis-asideelevawhich maybe secured onto the fendlWhlljoithe on, '01 the end oz-upair of toy train: cars prodedlwithcbupllnss according to my invention, 3 I I I I I throush'which the lever may extend',t1ieopen-' ta'in 'stmcturaldetails; Fig. 2 is a perspective vview theI e nd or one car illustratingthe-operatlon the coupler-{control lever; Figs. 3fand' 4-iare.

fragmentary sectlonal'pei'spective views of pair'sqribpupnng devices in diflerentrelative positions be moved from side inside to effect the above described adjustment of the coupler. As indicated,

I II I I I I l coupled cars-form surfaces which may rock across ing'a secondi'tnodiflcation of the invention; and. Fiat-1'1; is. a view illustrating a" third modification I i Itis understood, course, that the alignedmag- ",nets have sumcient attractive ioree to hold the end of adjacent-cars together even though, the magnet poles besomewhat separated'while-th'e' ears are'negotiatins turns. i

toaF se f r 'ns-f, l- .mi f represent the'Iends of --adjacent toy m'm ears eaen;or wi;icn- 1s provided on the abutting en'ds" with similar coupling deuces' IZ andn accordfi k- 1! nv n n: n t e c u i s d v c J are similar in all respects,1only' one need 'gb'e' de-j f-scribedin'detaih ,A permanent magnet i4-,.fprei- 'erahlyvifetn' ned in the,shape or a horseshoe, :is'

cars may be connected together by so adjus'ting' I i l a fiatm' hl t e'mesn i about 'their longitudinalaxes with res pec I I other by means-o! the operating levers. ll juntil strength; Iaild commoulyi-lrnown 'by i hee trade- I name Alnicot; A' pin lfi; extendinlt between the *polesof the magnet secures'theclosed end there- :ot imair st 'the end wall of they cup, the ends .of

i 'thgpixi It riveted onmama-m w 8 ups-s e nafi-ib The? tojthe wall-11o! 'it he 50- magnet to' bez'rotated' aboutz i The endlwall ot the cup -i5 in ngjuuqinaraafla =centrally, pro;

maybe substituted bysaliy otl i'er zes -ante: means cured ontoth'eslde wan-q the 'eup il ias by weld; 2 0 3 cup and magnet-b! meansor which. the cup degrees as indicated by. the. dotted; lines lIi n the I second position in- Fig.-2 'li'desii'ed a-non-magg car inv any "suitable manner. An: cip'e'nizig-=v 226i: 4 provided in thejupper surface of the cover portioning bei'nglbf such size as to allow thelever to the cover i l is provided with an outwardly'extend- I ing. curved portion 23. Theseportions of two each other to allow the cars tonegotiate turns in :As'ilIustrated in-Fig. -3, the 'a iacentendsoi' the'couplers withrespect'to each other that j' similar magnetic poles are cars will t e dtwetb b e m8 t t a in so 4 WW? 4? 13- T un buvld' P19 118 thepoles are suiliciently separatedand thefmagis usporuo it. it 1 netic field between them so weakened that the cars may be readily moved apart. With this coupler, it is not necessary that theoperator watch closely the alignment of connector parts, since the cars are coupled by merely bringing the ends of adjacent cars in close proximity to each other with the magnets in the proper relative position of adjustment. Although the cars may, of course, be separated by merely pulling them apart, it is preferred to embody suitable operating levers for shifting the magnets relative to each other, in order that a more realistic operation of the train may be retained. It is further obvious that the cars may be. reversibly arranged with respect to the others of the train. 7

In Figs. 5 and 6 is shown a modification of the invention which adapts itself readily for use in connection with toy train cars to a modern stream-lined design. The ends of adjacent cars 30 and 3|, which are adapted for telescopically fitting intoeach other as shown, are provided with magnetic couplers arranged somewhat difierently than in the previous embodiment. The coupiers each comprise a permanent magnet 32secured, at the closed end by a connection 33 upon a transversely extending control rod 34. The rod is loosely mounted in the side walls of the car, one or both ends of the rod 34 being provided with a crank portion 35 by means of which the magnet may be rotated in the vertical plane from the coupling position, shown in full line, to the uncoupled position, shown in dotted lines 36 (Fig. 5). The magnet may be supported in the coupling or horizontal position by means of a transversely extending rod 31, one end of which 38 extends beyond the side wall of the car so as to provide a stop for the crank 35 when the magnet is shifted to the inoperative position. The ends of the magnet 32 are preferably provided with arcuate pole pieces 39 and 40 of such a configuration that the pole pieces of adjacent couplers may rock over each other to allow the cars to shift with respect to each other while negotiating a turn without causing too wide a separation of the magnet poles.

In Fig. '7 is shown a still further modification of the invention in which the coupling devices each comprise a permanent magnet 42, secured as by pins 43 to a control lever 44. The lever is pivotally secured as at 45 to a portion 46 aflixed to the car wall 41. The opposite car wall 48 is provided with a slot 49 through which the end 50 of the control lever is adapted to extend for manipulation. A non-magnetic portion 5! forms a part of or the entire end wall of the car, the corresponding portions of adjacent cars being adapted to abut against each other during the coupled condition of the cars. The portions 5| are outwardly curved so that the ends of adjacent cars may rock across each other while the train is negotiating turns. To uncouple the cars, one or both levers 44 are shifted so as to cause a suihcient separation of the magnet poles so that adjacent cars may be moved apart.

It is obvious that it is not essential that permanent magnet couplers be provided on both ends of each car. If desired, a piece of magnetic metal may be so arranged on one end of each car which will be attracted by the magnet on the end of the adjacent car to hold the cars together. The coupling may be broken, of course, either by pulling the cars apart or by shifting the magnet by some such means as described in connection with the last two modifications.

It is further obvious that couplings, vfor. example, of the type shown in Figs. 1 and 2 may be readily attached to theends of cars previously provided with other forms oif coupling devices. For this purpose, the riveting 1118 It may be replaced by a bolt or other suitable fastening means.

Thus, with my invention I have accomplished an improved coupling arrangement for small vehicles such as toy trains which comprises a permanent magnet member for attachment to one such vehicle and a magnetic member for attachment to the other of such vehicles in cooperative relation with the permanent magnet member. With such arrangement the vehicles may be held in physical engagement or abutment during movement of one of them by the action of the magnetic pull. My arrangement in addition includes means associated with at least one of the magnetic members for adjustably supporting and moving such member relative to the other member to reduce the magnetic pull between the members and thereby uncouple the permanent magnet coupling.

Having described the principle of operation of my invention together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiments thereof, I desire to have it understoodthat the apparatus shown is only illustrative and that the invention may be carried out by other means.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In combination with a pair of miniature cars, a couplingmeans between said cars, said coupling-means comprising a permanent magnet secured to the abutting end of one ofsaid pair of cars, a magnetic member secured to the abutting end of the other of saidpair of cars, said magnet and said member so arranged that said cars are normally held together by magnetic attraction between said magnet and said member, and means mounted on one of said cars operative for causing a relative separation between said magnet and said magnetic member.

2. In combination with a pair of toy train cars, a coupling means between said cars, said coupling means comprising a horseshoe magnet movably secured tothe ends of each of said cars for holding said cars together by the magnetic attraction between the adjacent dissimilar poles, and means for rotatably shifting one magnet with respect to the other about the longitudinal axis thereof.

3. A coupler for miniature vehicles comprising a horseshoe permanent magnet, a cup of nonmagnetic material, means for securing said horseshoe magnet in said cup with the closed end of said magnet adjacent the closed end of said'cup, means for supporting said cup so as to allow said cup and magnet to be moved about its longitudinal axis, and lever means secured to said cup for shifting said cup and magnet about said axis.

4. In combination with a pair of toy cars, a coupling means between said cars, said coupling means comprising a pair or permanent horseshoe magnets longitudinally arranged in the ends of.

horseshoemagnets movably-secured onto the ends or each of said cars,-arcuate pole pieces secured onto theends of each of said permanent magnets,

said"pole"pieces being curvedin the horizontal plane of'saidca'rs so as to allow relative pivotal movements'by'theiends of said cars without causing separationof-the magnets; and means for uncoupling said cars-including means. forshiftlng onefofisaid permanent magnets with respect to the other,

6: In combination, a pair of toy train cars, the' r 'end'walls of said'cars being-.convexly, curved, a

portion. 01' once! said end walls being non-magnetic, a permanent magnet secured in one or saidcars, the poles "thereof arranged adjacent said non-magnetic end wall portion and adapted to magnetically attract a portion adjacent the end shifting said permanent magnet relative to said non-magnetic end wall. portion.

7. In combination with a pair of relatively small vehicles, coupling means between said vehicles, said coupling means comprising a permanent magnet secured to one of said vehicles and a magnetic member secured to the'other of said vehicles, means for mounting said magnet and said member to said vehicles whereby said magnet and said member may be'moved relatively to each other and to said vehicles, said vehicles being held in abutment by magnetic attraction between said magnet and said member during a predetermined alignment of said magnet and said member and released upon the movement of said magnet andsaid member from said aligned relationship by said mounting means.

ROBERT H. 

